The kiwi is a delicious fruit, of oriental origin, with a brown and hairy skin, in addition to a green interior with small black seeds. It is rich in many nutrients. Did you know that two kiwis have more than double the recommended amount of vitamin C per day? So, learn how to plant kiwi !
Kiwi is a climbing shrub, that is, a vine . The fruits are produced between three and five years after planting, very productive if handled correctly.
Kiwi varieties
The kiwis on sale today come from the less common Actinidia chinensis and Actinidia chinensis varieties. The plant can be female, male or hermaphrodite. To have fruit at home, you need to have two feet, one from the male plant and the other from the female plant.
Removing and germinating the seeds of the fruit
It is possible to make a kiwi plantation from the seeds of the fruit bought in the supermarket. Remove the seeds from the core, wash them well and dry them with a paper towel.
Place the kiwi seed on a dry paper towel, in a well-closed pot. Refrigerate for 7 to 20 days, during which time the seeds will sprout.
After sprouting, remove excess paper towel from each sprout and place in germination trays or recyclable plastic cups, with prepared soil. Follow these tips on how to plant kiwi:
- The soil pH for kiwi planting must be acidic. For every 20 L of soil, mix a cup of organic compost (worm humus or well-cured chicken or beef manure) and a full tablespoon of coffee grounds and bone meal or ash;
- The coffee grounds and bone meal serve to keep the mixture more acidic. After mixing all the ingredients well, add 2 L of not very fine sand to make the soil more aerated and not suffocate the roots.
Keep this earth very moist. When the seedlings are about 10 cm high, transplant them to a permanent location, which can be a flowerbed. You can also plant a kiwi tree in a pot . Just follow the same instructions and choose a vase for each foot.
Reproduction by cuttings
Cutting reproduction is a form of asexual reproduction of plants. You need to take small stem cuttings, which contain buds, buds or leaves, and plant them in moist soil. Are you enjoying the tricks on how to plant kiwi? Keep reading!
The use of rooting solutions is recommended for greater success in this type of planting. A widely used rooting solution is lentils, and you can make it at home:
- Put one part lentils and three parts water in an open container. After three or four days, the lentils will sprout. Beat the lentils well with the water in a blender and dilute this juice in eight parts of water.
How to make the stake
Select one-foot kiwi cuttings already in production. Choose those that are closest to the main stem and have at least two leaves. Immerse them in the rooting solution and in the prepared soil moistened in the germination tray.
When the first sprouts appear, it is already possible to transplant to the definitive place. Remove from the germination tray very carefully so as not to break the roots. Otherwise, the young plant may die.
Suitable place for the kiwi tree
You cannot plant kiwi just anywhere. The plant likes places with shade, where the sun doesn’t hit directly, and little wind, as winds can knock down the kiwi flowers and harm fruit production, which occurs after pollination of flowers by bees.
Kiwi foot support
A tip on how to plant kiwi is to make a support for the foot to lean on and grow. It could be an arbor, wooden poles or even a wall. The important thing is that this structure supports the weight of the plant.
Watering
The kiwi plant loves water, so water the plant frequently, especially in hot and dry seasons. For every 20 L of soil, you need to use 10 L of water.
Illnesses
The kiwi tree is considered to be very resistant. However, aphids are frequent pests on this plant. To eliminate them, it is possible to use insecticides sold in specialized stores.
You can also use homemade recipes to get rid of pests . The most traditional recipe uses rope tobacco. Put 200 g of rope tobacco in 1 L of water for 24 hours. Sift, dilute in another 1 L of water and spray daily on the plant.
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